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Vari-Lite’s powerful, stylish new VL6500 Wash is now shipping

Vari-Lite, the originators of the modern moving head lighting fixture and a Signify entertainment lighting brand, has announced that its new Vari-Lite VL6500 Wash is now shipping.

This new high-output wash lighting fixture combines the VL6000 Beam’s arena-scale performance with a head-turning visual attraction reminiscent of the legendary VL5, offering show designers an unmatched mix of modern power and vintage styling.

Sharing the big-picture format of the VL6000 Beam, the VL6500 Wash is a fully featured wash fixture with the same form factor and colour-matched presets as its award-winning sibling. “The VL6500 Wash is a direct response to requests we have received from lighting designers,” explains Martin Palmer, senior product manager, Vari-Lite and Strand Luminaires at Signify. “We partnered with designers every step of the way when creating this fixture, improving the colour system while matching the presets for a consistent experience. The result is a perfect partner wash for VL6000 BEAM’s large-format presence on the world’s most ambitious rock stages.”

While it shares the distinctive large front lens of the VL6000 Beam, the VL6500 Wash also adds Vari-Lite’s iconic Dichro*fusion blades. These unique blades offer diffusion with variable beam width and harken back to the vintage styling of the Emmy Award-winning VL5. “More and more, lighting fixtures serve as set pieces in their own right, and designers are looking for fixtures that not only create great light, but also look great on camera,” explains Palmer. “The Dichro*fusion blades on the VL6500 do both.”

One of the enhancements the VL6500 brings is Vari-Lite’s renowned full CYM+CTO colour system that provides numerous vivid and creative colour options. For even further creative colour possibilities, the VL6500’s extended colour range mode offers the ability to move the colour mixing wheels beyond full saturation back to open. This allows designers to use creative split colour effects that can be seen both in air and on the Dichro*fusion blades. To simplify programming when moving between colour presets, the VL6500 offers the same Cloak Transition Generator (CTG) first seen on the VL6000. This allows the fixture to automatically dip to dark when moving between colour presets without additional programming.

“The VL6500 Wash is an exciting addition to Vari-Lite’s range of unique new fixtures,” says Fernand Pereira, global head of marketing and product management, Vari-Lite and Strand at Signify. “While it includes a variety of modern technology features, it also offers a look that makes it a stunning addition to the brand’s unrivalled moving light heritage.”